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Welcome to Texas Plumbing Careers
We are on a mission to solve the labor shortage in the industry by developing the next generation of professionals and creating strong career paths.
About
Texas Plumbing Careers (TPC) is a non-profit in San Antonio Texas dedicated to training and launching people into careers in plumbing. Our innovative approach is built around hands on learning to give students valuable exprience and launch them into their career.
TPC accepts 5 students per class based on their work ethic and commitment to building a career in plumbing.
TPC teaches students in 6 weeks what it would take 6-12 months to learn on the job. All the training is hands on at our training facility.
Students need to earn a living while they learn, so our generous donors make it possible to pay $13 an hour throughout the course.
Application
We review applications and conduct interviews in order to find
for students who are committed to building a career in plumbing.
No education, job experience or other qualifications are required.
Training
Students go through a rigorous full-time six week, hands on training program taught by a retired master plumber. Students are paid $13 an hour during training.
Graduation & Certification
Graduates have a robust understanding of complete plumbing systems and a skill level equivalent to a 6-12 month on the job trained apprentice. Graduates also receive their apprentice license, multiple manufacturer certificates, and their OSHA 10 certificate.
Job Placement Assistance
Students get training on resume preparation and interview skills. TPC partners with Jobs To Build to support graduates throughout the application interview process.
The School
The plumbing industry is currently experiencing a labor shortage, creating a demand for new training and apprenticeship programs to tackle this issue. In response, the Texas Plumbing Careers Institute (TPC) was established as a nonprofit organization dedicated to recruiting and training new plumbers. The goal is to prepare them for promising careers with companies throughout San Antonio.
Our Approach
Texas Plumbing Careers Institute (TPC) is a new kind of plumbing school, built around a hands-on six-week crash course in plumbing systems. After training and licensing we help place apprentices in great jobs with local companies.
Who We Serve
TPC offers young people in San Antonio a path to a rewarding career in the plumbing industry. Through a comprehensive training program that focuses on practical hands-on experience, students are jump-started into their careers. TPC’s strong connections with local employers and suppliers provide graduates with job placement assistance. Giving new apprentices the foundational training they need helps them create more value for their employer, increases their earning potential and makes it more likely they will stay in the industry.
Take a look at our program
Our students learn in a state of the art plumbing training faciltiy designed around hands on learning with a master plumber.
Alternatives
Traditionally apprentices have three primary pathways into a career in plumbing.
Trade Schools
Trade schools offer a combination of classroom instruction and hands-on training. Upon completion, graduates receive a certification or diploma. Trade schools usually charge at least $2,000 and students are not paid during training.
No School
Apprentices are hired by a plumbing company usually with no prior experience or training. They are paid about $13 an hour and spend two years working under a licensed plumber. The quality of this kind of training varies widely, depending on who they worked under.
Company Schools
Some companies have internal plumbing training schools to provide new apprentices with company-specific education. This tailored approach builds consistency around the company's operational standards. This type of training rarely covers all core plumbing systems.
Traction
Shawn Murray and the TPC team have spent nearly to two years testing and improving their training program and innovative training facility.
2023 / launch the school internally
Shawn Murray opened the facility and began training apprentices and offered continued learning for licensed plumbers and contractors. They innovated new ways to teach core plumbing systems and certify plumbers on new products.
2024 / Opened the school to other companies
After providing training to over 30 plumbers they launched the school. They saw the benefit of their unique approach to plumbing education and decided to launch TPC to help address the plumber shortage and empower more young people into promising careers in the industry.
2025 / Graduating Students
TPC has received close to 200 applications so far and has successfully trained and graduated it's first cohorts.